Monthly Archives: December 2016

Looking up the Spanish Steps… …to the Trinità dei Monti at the top of the hill (which, weirdly, was entrusted to France until 2006.)Looking back down the Spanish Steps at sunset to the Piazza di Spagna… …and over Rome’s skyline.  The crazy angles and … Continue reading →

Aside from the graffiti, the biggest surprises about Rome have been: Seagulls.  It makes sense, Rome being so close to the sea, but I never realized how many seagulls were flying around and shitting on ancient Roman statues and buildings. Obelisks. … Continue reading →

Every three meters in Rome, you can’t help tripping over ancient ruins. Winding my way back from the Vatican through the ancient Campus Martius, I stumbled upon the Largo di Torre Argentina.

I visited the Vatican Museum after St. Peter’s Basilisk, seen here looking back at the dome. This place is fucking ridiculous.  Every inch — floor to ceiling — is crammed with ancient, medieval, and Renaissance artwork.  I did, however, especially … Continue reading →

I was amused to find that the Italian title of The BFG is Il GGG. No word if they offer a white giant discount.

I never realized that Vatican City is on the “Pudong” side of the river, opposite of ancient Rome.  I took the Metro under the Tiber and walked to St. Peter’s Square.  Bit of a misnomer as it is more of … Continue reading →

More symmetry with the beginning and end of my Chinese adventure:  this was the Lego exhibit I saw in Boston right before I moved to Shanghai.

I checked in to the Hotel Barocco off the Piazza Barberini on Quirinal Hill, the northernmost and tallest of the Seven Hills of Rome (and may have been the home of the Sabines as in “The Rape of the Sabine Women” Sabines.) Cozy … Continue reading →

From the streets, the first thing that struck me about Rome was the amount of graffiti everywhere.  Almost like there was an engaged populace who valued expression — even unpopular political expression — and wasn’t deathly afraid of governmental reprisal.